Pride and Stubborness
by PurseMonger
Summary: Modern AU based on the classic Pride and Prejudice.
1. Chapter 1

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

Whether he likes it or not.

* * *

"Soun, honey, did you hear that they finally sold that large house down the street?"

"Hmmm..." he answered without looking up from his newspaper.

His long-suffering wife sighed at the lack of response and rolled her eyes.

" _Darling_ , don't you know what this means?"

Understanding the tone and underlying threat before he could even process the words, the Tendo patriarch carefully folded his paper and gave his full attention to his lovely wife. He smiled widely and sincerely.

"No, I do not. Why don't you enlighten me," he replied with a wink.

Around them, five pairs of eyes rolled.

"Please, Daddy. I'm trying to eat my breakfast. Can't you please save your flirting for after we're done?" Nabiki asked irately.

Their mother giggled in response. Giggled! It would be cute if it wasn't so nauseating for all their daughters. Even Kasumi, the most mild-tempered and indulgent of them all was a little perturbed by their open displays of affection.

Ignoring her five daughters, Hinako batted her eyelashes at her husband as she handed him a cup of tea.

"As I was saying, this is good news for our family! I heard that the young man who bought the house is a doctor!"

"A doctor, you say? And how would that be good news for us? Are we in search for a new physician? I thought you were quite happy with Dr. Mashima," he replied teasingly.

Ignoring his obvious attempts to poke at her, she said, "Well, hopefully he will catch the eye of _one_ of our daughters."

Akane put down her chopsticks.

"Really, Mother. Do you plan on pushing us at every single man that enters the neighborhood?"

"Why, yes. Yes, I do."

Akane sighed again, exasperated.

"When you have _five_ unmarried daughters, you will find that getting them married occupies all your waking thoughts, too. At this point I'd be happy if at least _one_ of you could find a suitor."

"Mother!" Nabiki, Akane, Sayuri, and Yuka cried in unison. Kasumi only shook her head in amusement.

Their mother ignored the exclamation and the accompanying eye rolls and glares pointed in her direction and went on blithely, "Honestly, I don't know what the problem is; it's not like any of you are hard to look at! And yet not a single man between the five of you!"

"You act like we're spinsters!" Sayuri exclaimed. "We're still in our early twenties!"

"Yes, and by your age, I was already married and had both you and Yuka."

Sayuri and Yuka rolled their eyes but wisely kept their mouths shut. They knew from experience that any further objections would only cause their mother to continue her rant, so they began to eat their breakfast sullenly.

Seeing that her daughters had given up their objections, Hinako turned her full attention to her husband, who was looking at them all with a bemused expression on his face.

"As I was saying, I heard that he will move in this weekend. Do you think I should stop by and bring him something to welcome him to the neighborhood? Perhaps a nice curry or a cake?"

"And I assume that you will use that as an excuse to grill the poor man about his love life?"

Hinako smiled widely. It was so nice to be married to someone who understood her so well. While it was the second marriage for both of them, to her, Soun was the only man to really touch her heart. Her daughters were the only things she truly treasured from her first tumultuous marriage. Soun, however, had loved his first wife dearly and had been devastated by her death. Some women would have felt insecure and a bit jealous, but she only felt lucky to have found a man who had so much love to give and did it so fiercely. They had been married for almost 15 years and she still felt like a newlywed.

She flipped her hair over her shoulder and smiled broadly. "Well, if we happen upon the subject, what harm will it do?"

Soun chuckled. "Why don't I head over there instead? I can get to know the young man to see if he is worthy of courting one of our lovely daughters." He caught Akane's eye and winked at her.

"If you think that's best. I'll bake a batch of cookies for you to take with you. Your father is so good and kind to us," Hinako said with a sultry smile.

She went over to place a kiss on his cheek and hugged him from behind. The Tendo patriarch smiled at his beautiful wife. They stared at each other intensely and four young women rolled their eyes while Kasumi, who was forever patient, only smiled at them indulgently. They all knew _that_ look and moved to leave, completely unnoticed by their parents. They had no wish to witness more of their parents' amorous behavior. Akane had not finished her breakfast but she unsurprisingly found she suddenly lost her appetite.

Soun had another, purely selfish motive for going to see the new neighbor himself. Over the years, he had watched many men, young and old, make fools over themselves when they met Hinako before they found out she was a married woman. Even after they found out, some of them continued to try to impress her and a few were brazen enough to proposition her, something the seasoned martial artist had no tolerance for. He intervened immediately and made his displeasure quite clear. That was, of course, when he needed to; she was very effective at shutting a man down and making him feel he were only two feet tall. So he would meet the doctor and make sure he didn't get any ideas about Hinako.

He couldn't blame them, though and knew she was an exceptionally attractive woman. Now in her early forties, her face was wrinkle-free and she still looked youthful. Strangers often mistook her as the girls' older sister, a fact that amused her to no end. She worked out regularly to keep her figure voluptuous.

After his first wife passed, Soun had been resigned to being a single father to three young girls and worked hard to fight the depression that threatened to consume him after Kimiko's sudden death. The only thing keeping him from sinking into the abyss was his daughters, who needed him very much. He worked hard to give them a semblance of stability and take care of them.

Two years after Kimiko's passing, he met Hinako at a school event for his daughters. Her own daughter, Sayuri, was in the same class as Akane, his youngest. He found her to be a nice woman but had not paid much attention to her. As their girls grew closer, the two parents were forced to spend more and more time together. He got to know the vivacious woman and began to admire her strength.

He learned that Hinako had married right out of high school to an older man. Her parents had arranged the marriage, which she had been forced to accept. She had been honest about not loving her first husband but had still tried be a good wife to him. She had been widowed shortly after her youngest, Yuka, was born when her husband died suddenly. Luckily, he left her with a modest living and she was able to stay home to raise her young daughters.

As they grew closer, Soun refused to acknowledge his growing feelings for Hinako, feeling that he was betraying his wife's memory by even considering dating. Surprisingly, it was his eldest daughter who helped him overcome his insecurities. Always watchful and empathetic, she had seen her father as he interacted with the older woman and noticed how much happier he was when she was around. One day after her younger sisters had gone to bed and he was tucking her in, Kasumi had told him that it was okay for him to be happy. Mother would never have wanted him to be alone the rest of his life and she would have been glad to see him find someone else to love.

Shocked at his daughter's comment, he could only kiss her on the forehead and wish her a good night. Though he was startled by it, he wasn't exactly surprised. Kasumi had always been an old soul, insightful and mature beyond her years. It took him a few weeks of thinking over her words before he realized that his feelings for Hinako did nothing to diminish his love for Kimiko. Kasumi was right, his beloved wife would have wanted him to find happiness.

Then he had spent another few weeks worried that Hinako would not be interested in him, with her being so vivacious and ten years his junior. So it came as a big surprise when he learned that she had been hiding her feelings for him for a long time. Somehow she had fallen for him and he would forever be grateful for that fact.

It took very little to get Akane and Sayuri used to the idea of them as a family. The two were so close they were excited at the prospect. Yuka, the youngest, was also the shyest and while it took her some time to open up around Soun, his genuine affection for her won her over quickly. It was Nabiki who was the harshest critic of their relationship. She was naturally untrusting and had felt betrayed by the idea that Hinako was trying to replace her mother, whom she had loved dearly. It took a while but she, too, eventually warmed up to Hinako. It helped that the older woman was always honest and quite frank with Nabiki, never trying to coddle or talk condescendingly towards her.

They had dated awhile but Soun was still nervous when he proposed to Hinako, and even more so when they announced their engagement to the girls. He knew he made the right decision when the two families merged together so seamlessly.

Years later, he couldn't imagine a better life. It was filled with laughter and fun as well as arguments and temper tantrums. But that was to be expected when one lived in a house with six women.

He still thought of Kimiko every day and missed her dearly. But he was comforted by the idea that if she was looking down upon them, she would be proud of the women her daughters became. She would be happy that he was no longer alone and found a wife that treated their daughters like her own.

* * *

Across town, two gentlemen walked through an empty building, the elder smiling broadly in excitement.

"I'm going to have my private quarters upstairs and downstairs will serve as my practice space. The reception area will be there," he gestured to one side of the building then moved towards the center and added, "It will be equipped with four private exam rooms plus a small physical therapy area over here," he motion to the end of the building.

"Why so many exam rooms?" his companion asked.

"Once the practice is up and running, I plan on hiring another physician to work with me, along with a RN and a physical therapist for those who need it."

Tofu, while a general practitioner, had a specialty in sports medicine. He had studied martial arts since he was a small child and had his fair share of injuries. His own experiences influenced his choice in careers.

Tofu watched his friend, a bit anxious about his response. Ranma's good opinion was the most important in his life. While brilliant, Tofu knew that he tended to have his head in the clouds and was considered flighty by most. Ranma was grounded, and at a young age, already a successful businessman. While some considered him harsh and sometimes cold, Tofu knew he ran his company efficiently and effectively, and cared deeply about people dearest to him. He considered himself lucky enough to be one of the people Ranma cared about and considered as his best friend. The one person in his life he could always count on.

Ranma Saotome took another glance around the building, envisioning the office Tofu described. It was a modest space and would be a small practice, smaller than a doctor who graduated first in his class deserved, but Tofu was a simple man. A small office like this, where he could get to know his patients and make a difference, was exactly the kind of practice that would make him happy. Ranma finally nodded and a grin broke over his face.

"I can see it. It sounds perfect for you."

Tofu took another look around the empty space, the image of what his practice would look like clear in his mind. His body was almost vibrating in excitement for the future ahead. He had a feeling that this was a huge turning point in his life, his business endeavor being just the beginning of what was to come.

* * *

To Hinako's great disappointment, Soun had been unable to meet the new doctor for almost a month! Despite the rumors, Dr. Ono (she had at least found out his name) had not moved into the building since it had been going through renovations. The doctor had come and gone but it had been almost impossible to pin the man down. They saw moving vans over the weekend, which she could only see as a good sign.

Despite the lack of his presence, rumors flew around the neighborhood about the man and his practice. She found out that the building was to also serve as his home, which Hinako thought was smart. It also meant he would be living in the neighborhood, which was a plus as it would allow her daughters to 'run across' him more often. The shopkeepers had nothing but good things to say about his manners and the women who had seen him all said he was handsome. Especially when he smiled. Apparently, he smiled a lot because more than one young lady already had set her cap at him.

Hinako could only sigh over that. A young, unmarried doctor in the neighborhood was bound to get the marriage-minded mommas plotting, but add the fact that he was amicable and attractive and the young misses were bound to be falling all over themselves for his attention. She wasn't surprised as it was to be expected. She was only more determined that one of her five daughters would catch his attention. It would be lovely to have at least one of her daughters settled so close to their home.

And it was finally their chance to shine.

The clinic was to have an open house. The doctor was trying to generate buzz and business by allowing the neighborhood a look at his office, providing further incentive by offering refreshments for everyone who came. Hinako could have told him it was unnecessary since the neighborhood could talk of little else.

She walked into the family room where all five girls were lounging to get a quick look at what everyone was wearing. First impressions were lasting ones, and she wanted them to look their best. She took a quick look around, happy with the dresses Kasumi, Akane, and Sayuri were wearing. She wished that Yuka would have picked a dress that was a bit more flattering - she had such a cute figure – but knew that was just her style. She had the opposite problem with Nabiki, who always straddled the line between fashionable and inappropriate. Today she landed on the inappropriate side with her mini-skirt and mid-drift baring tank top, her breasts fully on display and the lace of her bra peeking out.

"Nabiki, please go change."

"Why?" she asked without looking up from her magazine.

"Because we want to make a good impression and you're dressed a bit too scantily."

"You want us to get noticed by the doctor and this will get me noticed."

"Yes, but…"

"Besides, I need some sort of advantage with Kasumi around."

At the sound of her name, the eldest Tendo turned her head, her eyebrow raised in question. She wasn't the only one to tune into the conversation as the rest of the girls looked up from their various activities.

"I beg your pardon?"

Nabiki only rolled her eyes. "Come on, Kasumi, don't act surprised. You know that when it comes to looks, none of us can compete with you."

"Nabiki! Don't pick on her," Akane said in her defense.

While scowling, she couldn't help but agree. Not only was Kasumi beautiful, she was also smart, soft-spoken, kind, and already a wonderful cook. She was as close to the Japanese feminine ideal as possible and the rest of them could never compete. It never really bothered Akane but she knew her other sisters often felt over-shadowed by her. After all, who could live up to Kasumi? She felt for them but that didn't mean she would let Nabiki put Kasumi on the spot. Out of all the sisters, Kasumi had always been the gentlest and hated confrontation.

"I'm not. I'm just stating the truth. Once the doctor lays his eyes on her, the rest of us won't have a chance. We all know it. "

"She's right, there's almost no point in us going," Sayuri added with a pout, surprising no one as she usually sided with Nabiki.

"Our only hope is that the doctor will have some friends there. _Rich_ ones."

"Come on, Nabiki, you don't really want to marry a man just for his money, do you?" Akane wondered.

"Why not? You know the old saying, 'It's just as easy to love a rich man as a poor man.'"

"You're definitely going to get noticed dressed like that," Yuka said with a sniff, "But any rich men are more likely to think you're available to rent than date."

"Not everyone can aspire to living in a convent like you. When was the last time a guy even looked in your direction?"

"That's _enough,_ girls."

Hinako knew from experience that Nabiki's narrowed eyes and cool tone, and the stubborn tilt in Yuka's chin, meant things were likely to escalate quickly.

"Nabiki, please change into something a little more conservative and save this outfit for the next time you're going to a club."

She and Hinako stared at each other in a silent battle of wills before Nabiki got up to changed. She knew from experience that it wasn't worth the fight when her mother had _that_ look on her face. With a roll of her eyes and one last glare at Yuka, she left to find something her mother would find more suitable. Inspiration suddenly hit her and she smirked.

She came back down a moment later wearing one of Yuka's prim button-up shirts. Only Yuka would never have left the top three buttons undone. Nor would she have tied the front into a knot, making the top snug and short. She paired it with the pleated skirt Yuka had bought it with and mercifully decided against the thigh high socks she had considered but still managed to look like a naughty schoolgirl. Which was exactly the look she was going for.

Hinako sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose as the expected argument started. Nabiki was always raiding the other girls' closets without asking, which annoyed them, but the not-so-subtle dig in retaliation to Yuka's comment was the beginning of a row they simply didn't have time for.

After some careful diplomacy by Hinako - which left her with a low-level headache - the family left the house a little while later. They walked to the clinic since it was only a few blocks from their house with a slightly frustrated Hinako walking in front with Soun, who was carrying the yakisoba Hinako had made to welcome Tofu to the neighborhood. He was trying to distract his wife and put her in a good mood after the fight the girls had, which he could hear from the dojo. He could admit to hiding there when the shouting started. He was no coward but he knew better than to get in the middle of an argument involving clothes and boys.

Yuka, Kasumi, and Akane followed behind them with the latter two trying to cheer up Yuka, who was glancing behind her shoulder and throwing daggers at Nabiki. She was walking with Sayuri, the two joking and laughing loudly. Every time Yuka glared at her, Nabiki only smirked back, feeling smug at winning their little fight. She pulled the two tails on her shirt, making it even shorter, before giving Yuka a taunting little finger wave.

* * *

As expected, the medical office was full of people, some taking great interest in the the office before meeting the man himself. They wandered through, Hinako recognizing some expensive, tasteful pieces, which surprised her since it was a doctor's office and those tended to be staid and clinical. She was impressed as it showed the doctor had class and money. They reached the backyard where more people were milling about in groups, talking to each other. Tables seemed to groan under the weight of all the food. It seemed no one had told the good doctor that all the neighbors would all show up baring edible gifts.

She looked around, nodding and waving at some of her friends, all of whom had daughters, which they had brought along. She saw a few unfamiliar faces and one of them was talking to the Kuonjis. Perfect. The Kuonjis were family friends and could be interrupted without seeming rude. She smiled as they were waved over a moment later. When they walked over they all bowed politely to Mr. Kuonji before he introduced their family.

"Dr. Ono, these are good friends of ours, the Tendos. Soun is on the city council."

"It's nice to meet you, Dr. Ono."

They bowed to each other before Tofu said, "The pleasure is mine, Mr. Tendo."

"This is my wife, Hinako."

"Dr. Ono," she greeted with a bow. "I brought you some yakisoba, but it looks like it might be superfluous."

"What it looks like is delicious and is very much appreciated. Thank you very much."

Hinako smiled at him, pleased with his manners.

"These are our daughters. Kasumi, 25, Nabiki 23, Sayuri and Akane both 22, and Yuka, 21."

Hinako couldn't help but notice the way his gaze lingered on Kasumi. He had to clear his throat before moving on to acknowledge the other girls. It took him a moment to process the information he was getting and how odd the introduction was.

"Sayuri and Akane, are you fraternal twins?" he asked politely, looking at them both.

While they were both pretty, they had no features in common. The girls gave him bemused smiles, too used to the question from strangers to have it bother them. Soun laughed before answering the question.

"No, Sayuri and Yuka are my step-daughters."

He looked apologetically at the girls. 'Step' was considered a four-letter word in their house and only used when explaining their family situation to strangers.

"It's nice to meet both of you. All…all of you," Tofu said, his eyes automatically going back to Kasumi before turning and waving forward a small group of people.

"I would like to introduce you to my sisters, Kodachi and Asuza, her husband Mikado Sanzenin and my friend, Ranma Saotome. These are the Tendos."

While they all bow politely, Akane couldn't help but notice how perfunctory it was. Not short enough to be insulting but very slight. It was also hard to miss the stiff smiles on the ladies' faces as they took in her sisters in an almost insulting appraisal. Too used to this reaction, Akane had to struggle to not roll her eyes, and turned her head instead. Her gaze landed on Ranma. From his profile she could see a chiseled face, with a strong jaw and defined cheekbones. But what was most unique were his blue eyes. She would have considered him handsome but his eyes were too cool as he appraised her family in a haughty way, almost as if they weren't worth his attention. He turned his head suddenly and their eyes locked.

Blue was hardly adequate to describe them. They were startlingly bright and clear, almost like a lake. But they also had so much depth in them and if she spent hours looking into them she wouldn't understand the secrets they hid. She realized that she was staring - rudely so - when he simply cocked his eyebrow at her. She averted her eyes and could feel her face heating up with embarrassment. She tried not to fidget but she couldn't stop herself from taking a peek to see if he was still looking at her.

He was.

There was a knowing smirk that she dearly wished she could wipe off his face before he completely dismissed her. His face went blank again as he turned his attention to the conversation Dr. Tofu, Mr. Kuonji, and her father were having.

Akane crossed her arms and turned her head with a huff and thought, _Jerk._

* * *

 **A/N:** Big shout out to alwaysZutarian and Marie Allen for all their support and beta help!

As you can see, familial dynamics from Ranma will not be followed in this AU. I chose character roles based on best fit.

I know it's been forever since I've posted an original story but things have been crazy for me. I've quit my job, moved, and remodeled our new house. Between the packing, unpacking, cleaning and getting the kids acclimated to their new schools, and a second remodel, I've had zero time or desire to write. However, I am trying to change that. There will probably be a flurry of activity on my account, but don't get too excited, there's a caveat.

In the past I have only posted stories that I have fully intended to finish, but this time I can't guarantee that any of the stories will get past the first chapter. I've had a few story ideas that I want to get out there and hope that your reviews (hint, hint) and enthusiasm will inspire some creativity. I've made pretty good headway on some of them and figure I might as well post what I have. Does this sound familiar? No? Well it will, I'll be posting this section of the footnote verbatim to all my new stories.

As always, thank you for reading!

~PurseMonger

P.S. I'm on tumblr with like, ten whole followers! I've been toying with the idea that I should post my stories there, too. If for some reason you hit your head and want to follow me, my handle is PurseMongerStuff.


	2. Chapter 2

Nabiki was right, of course, Akane knew she would be. But it always rankled that her elder sister was always on the money when it came to human behavior. Nabiki just had an eye for reading people and situations. Akane couldn't be mad though, not this time. Kasumi just looked so happy.

Tofu had taken immediate interest in her and had casually joined each group she was in as she made her rounds, greeting people from the neighborhood. Which took a while because she knew everyone. Kasumi was a darling of the neighborhood amongst the young and old alike. Not to mention the men who would have loved a chance to date her themselves, but to their great disappointment, she had shown no interest in any of them. Tofu seemed happy to follow after her, looking at her with a goofy, glazed look in his eyes and it seemed he had piqued her interest, too.

Truth be told, Akane had never seen Kasumi react to anyone like she was to Tofu. Her normally reserved sister was behaving rather girlishly. There was a twinkle in her eye when she giggled at his jokes and she was blushing. Blushing! It was so sweet.

Smiling to herself as she watched the tableau, she turned and bumped directly into someone sturdy. Wide eyed and startled, she looked up and recognized Tofu's friend, Ranma, with a very annoyed look on his face. Looking down she quickly realized why. She had spilled her entire cup of red punch on his very white shirt.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed. She began to wipe at his shirt with her napkin, inadvertently spreading the liquid and making a bigger mess.

"It's fine." When she kept wiping, he swatted her hands away, exclaiming, "I said it's fine!"

She pulled her hands away and looked up at him with wide, horrified eyes. "I-I really am sorry."

"Yeah, I know," he sighed heavily, looking down at his ruined shirt. He shook his head in exasperation. "Excuse me, I need to change."

* * *

"So, you having a good time, Ranma?"

"As good of a time as I can."

"Oh come now! I'm having an excellent time. The people here are so friendly and inviting. I've already received open invitations to dine with five families!"

"Of course you did. I'm sure you being a single, young, handsome doctor had nothing to do with it."

"Stop, you're making me blush."

"How many of those families have at least one single daughter or granddaughter they want to or already have paraded in front of you?"

"Well, all of them actually. But that doesn't change how hospitable and gracious the neighborhood has been."

"Yes. To you."

Tofu had noticed that Ranma was standing by himself most of the afternoon and had come over to check on him. He wasn't really surprised by his behavior though, it always took Ranma a while to warm up to people.

"Well, if you would just loosen up and actually talk to some of the people here, I am sure they would be just as welcoming to you." At Ranma's grunt, clearly showing his disbelief, Tofu continued undaunted. "Your name has come up several times, some by those single, young women you mentioned. Several of them are very attractive," he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"There is only one true beauty here today and she seems to have already caught your eye." At Tofu's questioning look, Ranma added, "You're not being as subtle as you think you are."

Tofu cleared his throat, a sheepish look on his face.

"But that's because I know you. Don't worry, I'm sure only a few other people noticed. Maybe twenty or thirty percent. Okay, maybe half. Eighty percent, tops."

That got a chuckle from Tofu, who clapped Ranma on the shoulder.

"I'm serious, Ranma. Just mingle. There are some really nice girls here. I had a nice chat with Kasumi's sister, Akane. She was funny and sweet, with a pair of lovely eyes."

"Yes, Akane. She is cute but not enough to tempt me, considering she's a complete klutz. Ruined a brand new shirt," he mumbled under his breath.

"Is that why you're wearing that?" Tofu nodded to the _Ono Clinic_ t-shirt Ranma had on. "Here I thought you were just being supportive."

Ranma chuckled. "Don't worry about me, doc, just go back to making eyes at Kasumi. Try to spend time with some of your other guests, too, okay? I'll be fine."

They both walked away, completely unaware that the subject of their conversation was on the other side of the tree, her face burning with embarrassment.

* * *

Akane took a moment to gather herself before coming out from behind the tree. Still red-faced, she took a quick peek around to make sure the coast was clear before going the opposite direction she thought Ranma and Tofu had gone. The last thing she needed was to have that…that…jerk! think she was eavesdropping on them. That would have been mortifying. She saw Ukyo over by one of the buffet tables perusing the desserts and went to join her.

"Hi, Akane!"

"Hi, Ukyo."

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

Akane then mumbled under her breath. Ukyo could make out a number of words which included jerk, arrogant, jerk, rude, jerk, conceited, and jerk. Someone had clearly gotten under her skin. After her short rant, Ukyo only gave Akane a patient look as she finished her sponge cake. Akane knew that look. It was one she had received plenty of times from Ukyo over the years. Usually when she lost her temper, Ukyo would give her that look until Akane told her everything that was bothering her, then she would feel better. This time was no different and soon Akane told her the whole story.

"Wow, he really does sound like an arrogant jerk."

Ukyo looked over at the subject of their conversation and gave him a thoughtful look. He was attractive even in borrowed his t-shirt, she'd give him that. But she had had two conversations with the man and found him quite unlikeable. He acted haughty and above it all. Even now, as he was talking to two shopkeepers he seemed bored, his manner patronizing.

"You know, if you want, I think I could _accidentally_ spill some teriyaki on his new shirt."

Akane smirked at the idea.

"But Dr. Tofu probably has more in the back. I could go for his pants, right in the front."

Her lips twitched.

"I doubt that Dr. Tofu has any pants around, maybe some sweats. Can you imagine Mr. GQ walking around in sweats?"

The smirk turned into a smile. Ukyo cocked her head to the side, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she came up with another idea.

"You know, if I used water and took really careful aim, I could make it look like he wet himself."

Just like Ukyo wanted, Akane giggled and soon the girls were laughing as they came up with more ways to give him a comeuppance.

* * *

Across the lawn, completely unaware of the plots against him, Ranma was standing by himself and observing people from a distance, the way he liked them best. The sound of laughter grabbed his attention and he turned toward the sound. He stopped dead and could only stare with his drink half way to his mouth.

 _Damn. What a beautiful smile._

* * *

"Did you see how Tofu doted on Kasumi today?"

"It was hard to miss with him following her around all afternoon."

"I know," Hinako said in a superior tone. "I got some unfriendly looks from some of the other mommas," she added. Despite her eye-roll she looked thoroughly pleased with herself. Soun's lips twitched in amusement. "The grand mommas were tittering over it all afternoon. They were all speculating about when an engagement announcement would come." Now there was no hiding how smug she was feeling.

The grand mommas were a group of grandmothers and great-grandmothers from the neighborhood who ruled over the social scene. At every event, they gathered to gossip, with their progeny bringing them food and drink. It was a common joke that they knew everything that was happening before it happened.

"He seems like a good man. Someone who will take care of her," Soun said thoughtfully.

Hinako knew that he meant that Tofu would look after Kasumi emotionally as well as financially. She looked at her husband fondly. Soun often joked that he didn't care who his daughters married as long as they came from good families, but she knew that he worried about every one of his girls. Yes, he wanted them to all marry well, but what parent wouldn't? Life was hard enough without having money problems. But he also wanted them to marry someone who would be good to them. That meant different things for each daughter. Kasumi was the kindest of all the girls and he was worried she would marry someone who would take advantage of that. Hinako was less concerned, she knew that underneath the kindness Kasumi showed, there was spine made of steel.

"He does seem like a very good man. I'm sure he's going to treat her very well."

"And with them living so close by, we can keep an eye on things…make sure he's making her happy."

"Of course, honey." She patted his arm in amusement. "Just think, soon we could have the house all to ourselves."

"But what will we do with all that time alone?"

"Oh, I can think of a thing, or two," she cooed.

* * *

The next week found Hinako in an exceptionally good mood. It seemed that everyone's speculation had been spot on. Tofu's youngest sister, Kodachi, had called to invite Kasumi over for tea. The haughty girl had subtly snubbed everyone she was introduced to and did not send invitations to any of the other girls in the neighborhood. It seemed that everyone was in agreement it was a good sign of Tofu's interest in Kasumi. They were convinced Kodachi only wanted to get to know Kasumi to see if she was fit for her brother.

Kasumi seemed quite pleased about the prospect and had spent a good portion of the morning helping Hinako making a variety of sweets for the occasion. She would have made them herself but she had been feeling a bit tired over the last couple of days. When the snacks were done, she packaged them into a small basket.

Akane couldn't help but smile at the excited look on Kasumi's face. Of course to most Kasumi would seem as serene as she always did. Even most of her sisters wouldn't be able to tell how excited she was, but Akane was proud to say she could read her sister better than anyone. Almost anyone. Hinako, was acutely attuned to all of her girls. She always said that with five daughters it was a means of survival. There was probably some truth to that and the Tendo girls had found it vexing, especially during their teenage years. Unlike their friends, the Tendo girls got away with very little with Kasumi needing almost no monitoring and Nabiki needing the most. But underneath it all, the girls knew it was because Hinako loved them all dearly. Watching her sister hum to herself as she flitted around the kitchen, Akane couldn't help but frown a bit. Kasumi looked a little peaked.

"Kasumi, are you feeling well?"

"Yes, of course."

"You're looking a bit flushed."

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it. I'm just a bit tired."

"You? Tired?" The idea was preposterous. Kasumi never seemed to get tired. "Maybe you should cancel your tea."

"Really, Akane. Don't you think you're overreacting?" Hinako said exasperatedly.

"No. Kasumi rarely gets sick..."

"I'm not sick." "She's not sick." Came two simultaneous responses.

"I know that. But we don't want her getting sick. There's a chance of rain today, what if she catches a cold?"

"I'm not going to catch a cold. I'll be fine, Akane."

"Just remember to bring an umbrella with you when you go."

"Of course."

* * *

Shortly after she left, Akane found Kasumi's umbrella forgotten in the genkan. Kasumi must have been feeling worse than she said was if she forgot the umbrella. Kasumi was usually meticulous about things. Akane flinched at the sound of thunder. She opened the door just as the rain started pouring down. With a sigh, she closed the door and went into the kitchen.

"It's raining and Kasumi forgot her umbrella. I hope that she's okay. Hopefully she got there already."

"She'll be fine, Akane," Hinako said with a roll of her eyes.

Feeling her mother was being much too blasé about the situation, she added sarcastically, "If Kasumi should have a dangerous fit of illness, if she should die, it would be a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of Dr. Tofu."

"People do not die of little trifling colds." Hinako only stopped long enough to look at her blandly. "Now, shoo, I need to get dinner started."

"Oh, really?" Akane said, perking up. "Can I help?"

Hinako sighed inwardly, cursing her inattention as the result of being harassed by Akane. She would never have said that aloud had she been paying more attention. Now she would have to spend the next hour carefully watching out for Akane in the kitchen and would no doubt be left with a huge mess to clean afterwards. Outwardly, she just smiled indulgently.

"Of course you can."

* * *

Not too far away, Kasumi was feeling equally annoyed. She had left the house with plenty of time to make her lunch date and would have _been there_ by now had she not been stopped by not one, not two, but three well-meaning neighbors who wanted a word with her. They all just happened to ask her where she was going, while giving her meaningful winks. She could only smile politely as she tried to get on her way.

She had just extricated herself from one of the grand mamas when the sky opened up angrily. Within a minute she was drenched. She continued on her way though; she wasn't one to just shrug off her obligations. Not that lunch was an obligation, it was something she was looking forward to. A thought that she kept repeating to herself as she made her way to the clinic.

Kasumi was greeted at the front door by Kodachi and Azusa, who were both shocked by her state. They ushered her inside and helped her dry off, giving her an old dress to wear before sitting down for their tea. Kasumi had been relieved to find that her desserts made it through the storm better than she did and looked as good as when she packaged them.

The three ladies spent a lovely afternoon getting to know each other over tea. If Kasumi felt the Ono sisters were a little critical in their comments of the townspeople, she brushed it off as them not really knowing the people they were discussing. If they sounded condescending when talking about how 'cute' the neighborhood was, it was because they lived in the city and had to get used to a slower pace of life. If Azusa's obsession with cuteness seemed a little excessive, Kasumi just considered it quirky. If Kodachi's laugh was a little…bracing, well she couldn't help the way she laughed, now could she? Overall, Kasumi enjoyed herself.

It wasn't until the end of their tea that things took an unexpected turn. Kasumi had just gotten up when she suddenly felt light headed. The next thing she knew, Kodachi and Azusa were both looking down at her with concern.

* * *

Shortly before dinner – while Akane was setting the table – the phone rang. Since her mother was still finishing dinner and her sisters were upstairs, she went to answer it.

"Hello."

"Is this the Tendo residence?"

"It is. Is there something I can help you with?"

"This is Kodachi Ono. Your sister Kasumi had tea with me earlier."

"Yes. Is everything alright?"

"Who is it, Akane?" Hinako asked from the kitchen.

"It's Kodachi Ono."

There was a quick shuffling of feet that told Akane Hinako was headed to the hallway.

"Can you please hold a second, Kodachi? My mother would like to speak with you."

Akane thought she heard some unhappy muttering before her mother took the phone.

"Hello, this is Hinako Tendo. Is everything alright with Kasumi?"

"She's fine now, but she fainted earlier."

"Oh dear."

"Really, she's fine. My sister and I helped her into bed and my brother came home shortly after. He's given her an exam and it looks as though she came down with a pretty bad cold, she has a fever and is shivering a bit but Tofu has given her some medicine and she's resting."

"Okay, we'll come get her right away."

"Tofu doesn't really want her to be leave, he wants to monitor her for a while."

"Why does she need to be monitored, I thought you said she was fine?"

"She is. Tofu is just concerned about how quickly this came on and with how badly it's raining out, he doesn't want to risk her getting drenched again. He would like it if she could stay here overnight so he can keep an eye on her. Please don't worry, we have plenty of space now and she is under excellent care. In fact, Tofu's in there with her now or he would have called you himself."

"Alright, if you're sure it's no trouble."

"None, at all. Tofu will call you in the morning with an update."

"Thank you, goodbye."

"Goodbye."

At Akane's questioning look, Hinako explained everything to her.

"Oh, no. Do you think I should go check on her?

"No, she's fine. She has her own personal doctor looking after her."

"Mother, you could sound a little more concerned. You sound suspiciously happy about the situation," Akane said accusingly with her arms crossed.

"Happy that my daughter is sick? Never. But I can't help but think this is a wonderful opportunity for Tofu to be around your sister more. You never know what can happen."

"Yes, I can see it now. A darkened room, Tofu and Kasumi talking to each other late into the night. Tofu leaning over to whisper sweet nothings in her ear. Telling her how beautiful her red, puffy eyes are, the pallor of her skin, all while she wipes the snot from her nose. Yes, mother, so romantic," Akane said sarcastically while rolling her eyes before going to finish setting the table.

* * *

The next morning the sun shone clear and the air smelled fresh. The only evidence of the thunderstorm yesterday were the puddles around the neighborhood. Akane was just finishing her warm-up three mile run and on impulse turned left instead of right and headed towards Tofu's clinic. It was early enough that she was a bit concerned about disturbing Tofu but was pleasantly surprised to find him already up and outside, sweeping the front step.

"Hello, Dr. Tofu. I don't know if you remember me..."

"Of course I do, Akane. How are you doing today?"

"Good, thank you. How are you?

"I'm doing very well, thank you. But I'm sure you're more concerned about Kasumi?"

"Yes, I am. I hope I'm not bothering you too early in the morning."

"Not at all, please come in."

As they made their way upstairs, Akane could hear people moving around.

"Do you have other patients staying here, Doctor?"

"Please, call me Tofu. No, my family is staying in town to help with setting up the practice and for an extended visit." They reached the upstairs to find everyone seated around the dining table. "Everyone Ms. Tendo has come to visit with her sister. Akane, you remember my sisters, brother in-law, and Ranma?"

Akane was a bit startled to see everyone, especially _him,_ and subtly tried to fix her hair, but she only smiled at everyone before greeting them. "Good morning."

"Good lord, did you run here?" Kodachi asked. While her question conveyed curiosity, her tone was scathing and mocking.

"I did." Akane replied simply, keeping her head high while Kodachi and Azusa eyed her head to toe. It was embarrassing standing there in her exercise gear - still sweating from her run – while they were both wearing lovely dresses with their hair perfectly styled and make-up perfectly applied. When no one said anything more she added, "I'm sorry to disturb your breakfast. Tofu, if you can show me where Kasumi is, I'll get out of your hair."

"Nonsense. Please do join us after you look in on your sister. I just checked on her myself a little while ago and she had fallen back asleep. I'm sure you'll have so much to add to our conversation," Kodachi said giving her a patronizing smile.

"Yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea. I'll show you to her room," Tofu said with excitement, completely missing his sister's tone.

When they reached the door, Akane heard the sound of giggling and hoped they weren't talking about her.

* * *

"Did you see the state of her clothes? She had at least six inches of mud splattered all over her leggings. She looked practically medieval," Kodachi sneered to her sister.

"Not to mention her hair. It was flying all over the place."

"Or how red and blotchy her face was? I wonder if that's how she looks _whenever_ she gets sweaty," Mikado said, making no doubt what he was talking about. He got a playful slap on the shoulder from Azusa. "Talk about a mood killer." The sisters broke into another round of laughter.

Despite his comments, Ranma couldn't help but think Mikado was paying too much attention to Akane. Perhaps it was because he knew she was soon to be subject to Azusa and Kodachi - who were as lethal and cold as sharks when it came to other women their age – but a little protective of the girl. "I think the exercise seemed to make her eyes bright."

Kodachi was no longer giggling. Her face turned stiff and stony as she watched Ranma. His gaze was still on the hall, his expression thoughtful.

* * *

 **A/N:** I was a little sad writing this chapter when I realized that Darcy doesn't actually show up much in the first few chapters. Which means Ranma won't. Which means no Ranma and Akane?! What? So, I'm adding to the P &P plot because I needs me some R&A.

Thank you to everyone who is following this story for your patience. As I said before, I will try to update this as much as I can.

Big shout out to alwaysZutarian for all her help even when she's got papers and finals!


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